Hone for double-edged razor blades



April 19 1949- H. G. Asl-:WORTH HONE FOR DOUBLE-EDGED RAZOR BLADES FiledJan. 26, 1946 lllll Patented Apr. 19, 1949 UNITED STATES GFFICE 4Claims.

This invention relates to a hone for double edged safety razor blades,and more particularly to such a hone in which the two edges of the razorblade are stropped between surfaces of soft leather, cork or the like soas to remove the microscopic burrs or barbs on the cutting edges andthereby improve the cutting qualities of the blade.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simplehone having two pairs of mating surfaces of soft leather, cork or thelike and between which the razor blade is moved lengthwise of itscutting edges so that the action of the stropping surfaces is lengthwiseof these edges. With strops which work transversely of the cutting edgeof a razor blade the eiect is to attenuate the microscopic burrs orbarbs of the cutting edge with very little improvement of the cuttingquality of the razor edge. I have found that by moving each edgelengthwise between a pair of mating soft leather or cork surfaces thesemicroscopic burrs or barbs are removed, instead of being merelyattenuated, and greatly improve the cuttingt qualities o-f both newrazor blades and also razor blades which have undergone repeated use.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a strop in whichthe razor blade can readily be inserted and in which the means foreliecting movement of the blade relative to the stropping surface is asimple operation. By this means the razor blade can be quickly honedwith little effort.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hone which operatessimultaneously on the opposite parallel cutting edges of a double edgedrazor blade.

Another aim is to provide such a razor blade holder in which the honingpressure can readily be varied by varying the degree of tightness withwhich the hone is held.

Another aim of the invention is to provide a hone which comprises butthree moving parts which can be readily stamped from stainless steel orany other metal or can be readily formed from plastics.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide such a hone which isextremely compact and can readily be placed in a bathroom cabinet,traveling case or the like.

Other objects are to provide such a hone which is attractive inappearance and of strong durable construction so as to stand up underconditions of severe and constant use.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective View of a hone embodying the present inventionand showing the same opened to permit of insertion or removal of a razorblade, the razor blade being indicated in phantom.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, central, longitudinal section through the hone.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Fig. l is a vertical transverse section taken on line 4 4, Fig. 2.

The body of the hone is shown as being composed of two body membersindicated generally at 5 and 6 which are pivoted together at one end ofthe hone, as indicated at 8, so that the body is capable of bein-gopened up, as shown in Fig. l. The lower body member 5 is of elongateddislied form having a flat bottom l, upstanding longitudinal side walls9, a rear end wall I l) and a front end wall Il. The upper body member 6is of elongated channel shaped form having a flat top wall I2,longitudinal extending side walls i3 and a front wall M. The side wallsI3 of the top body member 6 are spaced to embrace and fit the side walls9 of the lower body member 5 and the front wall Irl is shaped to embraceand t over the front wall I I of the lower body member 5. At the rearend of the strop the two body members 5 and 6 are connected by the pivotpin indicated at 8, this pin being in the form of an elongated headedrivet extendingr horizontally through the side walls 9 and II of thebody sections 5 and 6. A metal channel I5 is arranged centrally in theupper body member 6 and has its legs secured to the tcp thereof, thischannel i5 extending the full length yof the upper body member 6 so asto provide two longitudinal channels !6 on opposite sides thereof.Similarly, a metal channel i8 is arranged centrally in the lower bodymember 5 and extends longitudinally the full length thereof to provide apair of channels I9 on opposite sides thereof. Within each channel I6 isfitted a strip 26 of relatively soft stropping material, such as leatheror cork, and a similar strip 2l is arranged in each of the channels !9.To provide an additional resilience, each of these strips 20, 2I can bebacked by a strip 22 of rubber or other highly resilient material. Itwill be seen that the faces of each pair of the leather or cork strips20, 2l oppose each other and these opposing faces are preferablyarranged in slightly divergent relation to each other to conform to thecutting edge of the razor blade 25. arranged therebetween.

This razor blade 25 is placed lengthwise of the stropper with itscuttingv edges between the.

opposing faces of the leather or cork strips 20, 2l and is movedlengthwise so that the microscopic burrs or barbs on these edges areremoved instead of being attenuated as is the case where a razor bladeis stropped transversely of its cutting edge. For this purpose thechannel I8 of the lower body member E is provided with a longitudinalslot 26 in its upper face and within this lower channel i8 is arranged ametal slide 29. This slide has a handle Sii which projects out through aslot 3i provided in the front wall I I of the lower body member 5. Thisslide is also formed to provide a plurality of downwardly extendingrounded lugs 32 which ride on the bottom wall 1 of the lower body memberand support the slide 29 to move parallel with this bottom 'I as it isworked back and forth longitudinally of the strop. These lugs 32 areshown as being four in number and as being formed by offsetting themetal of the slide 29.

The slide 29 is also formed to provide a pair of integral pins or teats33 which project upwardly through the slot in the channel iS. These pins33 are formed by off-setting the metal of the slide 25! and are ofprecise shape and spacing to fit the holes or irregularly shaped centralslot 35 provided in the usual double edged razor blade.

It will be seen that the use of the strop forming the subject of theinvention is Very simple. Thus the user swings open the body members 5and 6 about the pivot 8 and places the razor blade 25 so that itscentral slot 35 lits the pins 33 which project upwardly from the slide29. When so iitted the edges of the razor blade are arranged parallelwith the longitudinal dimension of the strop. The user then closes thebody members 5, 5 and works the handle back and forth. In closing thebody members the strips 20, 2| of leather or cork are brought intoengagement with the opposite sides of the cutting edges of the blade andthe pressure exerted by these leather or cork strips 2l), 2l instropping the blade can be regulated by the degree of tightness withwhich the user holds the body meinbers 5, S together. These strips 2i),2l resiliently engage the blade, both through their inherent resilienceand also because of the rubber backings 22 for these strips. In workingthe handle 20 back and forth the slide 29 is moved longitudinally of thestrop, this slide riding on its lugs 32. Since the pins 33 projectupwardly through the slot 2t in the channel I8 which encloses the slide,and since these pins t the central slot of the razor blade, the razorblade 25 is moved longitudinally and its cutting edges are thereforestropped, longitudinally, by the leather or cork strips 2G, 2l. Thislongitudinal stropping of the edges of the razor blade has been found tobe remarkably eiective in removing the microscopic barbs or burrsthereon, particularly in contrast with transverse stropping where thesebarbs or burrs are merely attenuated.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides avery compact, low cost razor blade strop which maintains a cutting edgeof high quality on each side of a double edged blade, particularly inthat the stropping is effected lengthwise of these edges, and it willfurther be seen that the strop is very easily manipulated to rapidlybring the edges of the razor blade into proper condition.

vI claim as my invention:

1. A hone for double edged razor blades, comprising anv elongated holdersection, a complementary elongated holder section separable from saidrst holder section, one of said holder sections being channel-shaped incross section to form a channel-shaped holder section, an elongatedchannel-shaped member secured longitudinally and centrally within saidchannelshaped holder section with the edges of its ilanges in engagementwith said channel-shaped holder section to form a covered slideway andforming a pair of longitudinal channels on 0pposite sides thereof, apair of elongated strips of soft, resilient honing material fitted ineach of said channels, a strip of soft, resilient honing materialsecured along the opposite sides of the other holder section and matingwith said rst pair of honing strips when said holder sections arebrought together, said blade being insertable between said holdersections with its opposite edges between said opposed pairs of honingstrips, a slide fitted in said slideway and projecting longitudinallyoutwardly from one end of said holder for manual reciprocation thereof,and a projection on said slide and extending through a longitudinal slotin said channelshaped member and tting said blade, whereby the bladetted thereon is reciprocated lengthwise of its cutting edges by saidslide and said blade is honed lengthwise of its cutting edges.

2. A hone for double edged razor blades, comprising an elongated holdersection which is channel-shaped in cross section to form achannel-shaped holder section, a complementary elongated holder sectionwhich is channel-shaped in cross section to form a channel-shaped holdersection, a pair of elongated channel-shaped members each securedlongitudinally and centrally in a corresponding one of saidchannelshaped holder sections with the edges of its iianges inengagement therewith and providing channels on opposite sides of each ofsaid holder sections one side of each of which channels is formed by thecorresponding side ange of the corresponding holder section, anelongated strip of soft, resilient honing material tted in each of saidchannels with the pairs of honing strips on opposite sides of saidholder in mating engagement with each other, said blade being insertablebetween said holder sections with its opposite edges between said matingpairs of honing strips, a slide litted longitudinally in one of saidchannel-shaped members and projecting longitudinally outwardly from oneend of said holder for manual reciprocation thereof, and a projection onsaid slide and extending through a longitudinal slot in said one of saidchannel-shaped members and tting said blade, whereby the blade ttedthereon is reciprocated lengthwise of its cutting edges by said slideand said blade is honed lengthwise of its cutting edges.

3. A hone for double edged razor blades, comprising an elongated holdersection, a complementary elongated holder section separable from saidrst holder section, one of said holder sections being channel-shaped incross section to form a channel-shaped holder section, an elongatedchannel-shaped member secured longitudinally and centrally within saidchannel-shaped holder section with the edges of its ilanges inengagement with said channel-shaped holder section to form a coveredslideway and forming a pair of longitudinal channels on opposite sidesthereof, a pair of elongated strips of soft, resilient honing materialfitted in each of said channels, a strip of soft, resilient honingmaterial secured along each of the opposite sides of the other holdersection and mating with said rst pair of honing strips when said holdersections are brought together, said blade -being insertable between saidholder sections with its opposite edges between said opposed pairs ofhoning strips, a slide tted in said slideway and projectinglongitudinally outwardly from one end of said channel-shaped holdersection for manual reciprocation thereof, a projection on said slide andextending through a longitudinal slot in said channel-shaped member andtting said blade, whereby the blade tted thereon is reciprocatedlengthwise of its cutting edges by said slide and said blade is honedlengthwise of its cutting edges, and a plurality of lugs pressedoutwardly from said slide toward the opposing face of saidchannel-shaped holder and having sliding engagement therewith.

4. A hone for double edged razor blades, comprising an elongated holdersection which is channel-shaped in cross section, a complementaryelongated holder section which is channelshaped in cross section withits side flanges embracing the side flanges of said rst holder section,a pivot pin extending through said side flanges of both holder sectionsat one end of the hone and permitting the pivotal separation of saidholder sections, an elongated central member secured centrally withineach of said holder sections parallel with said side flanges and eachforming with the said side flanges of its holder section a pair oflongitudinal channels on opposite sides thereof, a honing strip of soft,resilient honing material secured in each of said channels and eachmating and engaging with a corresponding honing strip in the opposingchannel of the other holder section when said holder sections are swungtogether about said pivot pin, one of said elongated central membersbeing formed to provide a slideway opening through the end of thecorresponding holder section opposite said pivot pin, a slide fittedlongitudinally in said slideway and having a handle portion projectingoutwardly therefrom, means retaining said slide in said slideway whensaid sections are separated from each other, and a projection on saidslide and tting a Iblade between said holder sections with its oppositeedges between said opposite pairs of honing strips whereby the bladetted thereon can be reciprocated lengthwise of its cutting edges by saidslide.

HARRY G. ASHWORTI-I.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,898,915 Volpin Feb. 21, 19331,968,424 Rous July 31, 1934 2,094,722 Sandford Oct. 5, 1937 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 524,691 France May 18, 1921 545,895 GreatBritain June 17, 1942 OTHER REFERENCES Ser. No. 363,377, Stark (A. P.CJ, published Apr. 27, 194,3.

